


Of Snakes and Nargles

by Steangine



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Magical Alternate Universe, One Shot, mixed timelines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-09-12 22:51:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9094222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steangine/pseuds/Steangine
Summary: Harry has troubles in starting love relationships with humans. But when it comes to animals, he is one of the best students. [Mixed timelines. Tom Riddle going to school with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Newt Scamander is a teacher to them.]





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> This is my very first fan fiction about Harry Potter, despite I've been loving it for at least 15 years by now.  
> I'm really into Tom/Harry (not Voldemort, but the nice Prefect, handsome and stuff) and decided to write this one shot where all the characters from JK Rowling universe basically live into the same timeline. So Tom is attending school at the same time with Harry, Ron, Hermione and everyone else from the books and Newt Scamander is their teacher. No Lord Voldemort, so no dead people, no curse on the DADA position at Hogwarts and no Death Eaters as well.  
> Just a fluffy long one shot I hope you'll like. I'm not sure if the characters are IC and please tell me if there are mistakes with the names since I haven't read Harry Potter in English yet.

Harry, sitting on the armchair closest to the fireplace, raised his eyes from the letter he was writing to the stairs bringing to the bedrooms. Ron and Hermione were discussing with so loud voices that the few Gryffindors in the dormitory -one sixth year and two small second years- looked at them as they approached.

“Ronald hasn’t bought any Christmas present yet!” Hermione announced to Harry.

“You’re making a fuss over nothing, Hermione! I bet Harry too hasn’t yet!”

Ron turned to Harry looking for a positive response, but felt lost when his best friend hesitated and shrugged a little.

“Actually, I bought them last time we went to Hogsmeade.” Ron was horrified. “I mean, last year we barely made it in time, so we decided to buy them before. Don’t you remember?”

“I thought you had a date with Cedric when you left us!”

Harry silenced him with a hiss, but noticed that the other three students suddenly turned away with a guilty expression when he looked at them: they were listening.

“Why do you thing I was with Cedric? He isn’t my boyfriend, he is with Cho.” Harry didn’t manage to hide immediately a sad grimace. “I truly went buying some presents.”

“Sorry mate…”

“About what? I didn’t even confess to him. And it was last year, now I’m over it.”

Harry went back to his letter and Hermione went on with her attack. “I told you Harry has already bought them!” But Ron cut her off.

“Who’re you writing to?”

“My godfather.”

“Don’t change topic, Ronald!”

Harry quickly wrote the greetings and closed the letter with his signature. When he left the common room, Ron and Hermione were sitting on the sofa still talking over each other.

The corridors to the aviary gave a magnificent sight of the landscapes surrounding Hogwarts. Even if it had been more than four years that Harry attended the school, the sights that he witnessed every single day, for how familiar, were always stunning and fascinating. Through the stone arches, the infinite green sweep turned into a pure snow white.

Harry looked at the thin line dividing the snowy hill and the clear grey sky. Probably it would have snowed again soon and the thought made him almost run to the aviary; he didn’t want Hedwig to fly into a storm. As he walked over the last step, he didn’t even call her, Hedwig flied directly to him. Harry was caught by surprise and he barely managed to stretch out his right arm to welcome her.

“Hedwig!”

She munched the lobe of his ear, however it wasn’t as sweet as the other time; Harry felt her pinching it as if she was trying to convey a bad feeling.

“Hey, what happens?”

Hedwig made a low sound and stroked her head against his.

“Are you jealous that I’m in detention with professor Scamander and working with all those animals?”

One month before, professor Snape caught him throwing a hex towards Malfoy. He had called Hermione mudblood and Harry, due to many issues weighing on him, lost all the patience and acted faster than both Ron and Ginny, sending Draco to the other side of the corridor with a single spell. Thankfully professor Scamander was there; he couldn’t stop Snape from taking off 20 points from Gryffindor, but could “punish” Harry by having him as his assistant whenever he needed. That wasn’t as easy as Ron predicted, since Harry risked to lose his limbs as soon as he stepped into the professor’s case, however it was much better than being in detention with Snape.

Hedwig looked displeased when Harry made her step back on the cold stone. The boy wrote a note for Sirius, asking him to take care of Hedwig and not letting her fly back if the weather was bad.

_ She may bite you in case. _

Harry knew that Sirius would have never let Hedwig out, but Hedwig was a stubborn snowy owl.

“Bring this to Sirius.” He murmured while caressing her head. “Be careful Hedwig and obey to Sirius when you are there, okay?”

She chirped back and let Harry tie the letter to her paw. Harry caressed her once more before she left with a whirl of wings. He stayed in the aviary until she disappeared over the horizon.

As he descended the stairs, Harry realized his feet were cold and his hands were freezing. He stopped and took out his wand to cast on himself a warming charm when he heard some voices coming from the corridor. He wouldn’t have hidden around a corner if it wasn’t for the concerned voice of the girl.

“Sorry if I brought you here all of a sudden, but I didn’t want anyone to hear.”

Harry didn’t want to hear, but he didn’t know if coming back was safe. Probably he could have just stepped back in silence and–

“There is no problem at all, don’t worry.”

He knew that voice. A male voice, deep and calm, a voice that Harry heard almost every day. Tom Marvolo Riddle.

The girl hesitated. She gave a small cough and Harry imagined she was just trying to gain time. “Tom, I know it’s sudden, but would you like to go with me at Hogsmeade tomorrow?” She threw the words out fast.

Harry clearly heard Tom smile appearing in a small sigh. “I am flattered by your request. Unfortunately–“. The girl emitted a small disappointed moan. “–another person has already asked me and I have accepted.”

“Oh… oh, I see. Well… thank you anyway. Maybe next time!”

“Maybe.”

Hearing their steps receding, Harry was sure of one thing: that maybe would have never happened, as no person had ever asked Tom for a date twice, whether he refused them or not.

He waited a bit more to be sure that nobody was anymore there and rushed down the corridor to go back to the common room. He didn’t want to spy on that sort of confession and felt quite bad, because he ended up doing it just because Tom Marvolo Riddle was involved.

Harry wasn’t sure since when he started liking Tom, even if he had always found him an attractive person, as the rest of the school had. Tall, pitch black hair, fair skin, penetrating dark eyes, handsome features and, nonetheless, a clever and witty brain. Tom was sorted in Slytherin, but somehow he got along with everyone, even with some Gryffindors despite the long rivalry between the houses. He became a Prefect of his house that year, nobody doubted it, and Harry realized his body was feeling something for him when they had the Prefect meeting on the train with the current Head Boy and Head Girl.

During the first two years Harry was too busy living his new life at Hogwarts, while the third and fourth year were the hell when he kept having wet dreams about Cedric Diggory. It all started after the first Quidditch match of his third year between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff; everything looked like a nice romance until Cedric, after he became the champion of the Triwizard Tournament, ended up with Cho and left behind a heartbroken Harry who hadn’t dared to confess his feelings to him. And now, during his fifth year, the year of the O.W.L., he had on his head a pending sword with the name of Tom Riddle carved on its blade; he was a Gryffindor, Tom was a Slytherin, everyone thought that Harry wasn’t fond of him because of their houses and he was happy they kept thinking that way. What would have Ron said if he were to discover that his best friend’s dreams and nightmares were split into O.W.L.’s omens and Tom naked into the Prefects bath?

Tom was the best in every subject, he was even better than Hermione, who the teachers judged brilliant. Harry didn’t know why, but he had never truly trusted him; he realized he was right, and it wasn’t just simple envy as Hermione stated many times, when he and Ron risked to hurt themselves badly after a prank. Malfoy was involved, but Harry realized Tom was the mastermind behind it. Everybody kept thinking of Tom as the genius of Slytherin, but Harry started keeping an eye on him whenever he had the chance.

The only class where he could match up with Tom was Defense against Dark Arts and probably it was thanks to that almost one-sided rivalry that Harry started to learn new charms on his own. He also was the only wizards among the students who was able to cast a Patronus, thanks to his professor and family friend Remus Lupin, but only Ron and Hermione knew.

With his thoughts swinging between the sweet smile of Cedric and the magnetic look of Tom, Harry entered the common room and found Ron and Hermione still arguing on the same topic.

 

*

 

It was morning, the Great Hall was shining of Christmas decorations and Ron was eating to his heart’s content. Harry indulged himself in observing the trees filled with colorful decorations and icicles, while Hermione was reading a book that probably none of his two friends would have dared to read.

“Riddle would read this.” She said when Ron tried to interrupt her for the umpteenth time.

From time to time Hermione quoted Riddle out of nowhere: Ron was afraid she liked him, Harry was afraid she was aware of the physical attraction he had for him. Hermione was always sharp and she was particularly skilled when it came to human love relationships.

Harry got up from the table while Ron was filling his dish for the third time. Hermione wasn’t sure if she wanted to keep reading, scold Ron or ask Harry where he was going. She chose the latter.

“Check the aviary. Maybe Hedwig is back, last time she traveled into a storm.”

“Be fast!” Said Ron.

“I’ll meet you at the front gate.”

Harry went to the aviary and Hedwig, for his relief, wasn’t there; there was a snow storm that night and probably Sirius managed to keep the owl at his house.

Feeling better, he headed towards the main entrance. However, the stairs he used before changed direction, so he had to choose another path. Taking a shortcut, he noticed a ball of fur walking away. It was an instant just before it disappeared around the corner, but Harry was sure he recognized it.

“Hey!”

He run down the corridor, but, apart from some armors lining up against the wall, there was nobody else.

“Hey!” He repeated. “You are the Demiguise of professor Scamander, right?”

Without his glasses, Harry couldn’t see a thing, but when wearing them he had a pretty neat sight, since he could detect the Golden Snitch easily and made Gryffindor won the Cup twice since he entered Hogwarts. He was sure he saw the Demiguise.

“I won’t hurt you. It’s dangerous for you staying here!”

Harry was aware he sounded pretty lame, talking to the nothing in the middle of a corridor when he should have been at the entrance, heading to Hogsmeade. As he thought so, a glimpse of a figure flashed in front of him; he could see the edges of the animal that were slowly filled of fur, arms, legs and a pair of gentle eyes.

The Demiguise tilted his head.

“Why are you here?”

The animal slowly approached him and gently pulled his trouser, silently asking him to follow.

“Uhm, I can’t now. I mean, I have to go to Hogsmeade and…”

Harry made the mistake of looking into those eyes which were desperately asking for help. The Demiguise emitted a strange sound, strangled like a tiny cry and Harry sighed heavily.

“I imagine you have your reasons of getting out of the case when professor Scamander isn’t around. Let’s go.”

That week Hagrid was in charge of the lessons because the Minister asked Scamander’s advice for an important matter concerning the treatment of a beast found in international waters. That wasn’t enough for Harry to avoid his detention and helped Hagrid with the care of the beasts, but he was even more in danger than with professor Scamander. Harry basically had to take care of the creatures inside the case who still needed human help and, luckily, he managed to get along with most of them, even with Phicket, Scamander’s favorite Bowtruckle. However, Hagrid loved animals that most of the wizards considered dangerous and sometimes he forgot that Harry didn’t have blood of giant in his veins and consequently didn’t have his same resistance.

“Where are you going?”

Harry followed the Demiguise outside the castle; the snow was fresh and his feet sank into it. He was making it only because of the warming charm he casted on his own clothes. When the Demiguise headed towards the Forbidden Forest, Harry started to regret his decision of following him.

“You know I can’t go there, don’t you?”

He didn’t know if the Demiguise understood him, but as soon as he spoke, the animal strayed walking near the trees, without entering the forest. He stopped quite near the Whomping Willow, not enough to awaken it, and pointed at something in the snow.

Harry didn’t notice immediately the long but thin animal curled on itself. Its color was of a very clear blue and it had a pair of huge yellow eyes. It had the shape of a snake, however, instead of the scales, he seemed to have tiny ruffled feathers. It didn’t seem alive, but when Harry approached it, the snake showed his tongue as if it was menacing the boy.

“What should I do?”

The Demiguise shrugged at the question and Harry snorted. He looked back at the snake; despite it was staring at Harry, he didn’t move at all and even didn’t try to attack him. Probably, just like normal snakes, it was a cold-blooded animal and would have died in the snow.

“Okay. I’ll come up with something.”

He took off his coat, shivered in the cold, and threw it on the animal. The Demiguise looked at Harry, then back at the snake and again at Harry who used his coat as a sack to trap it.

“It isn’t moving at all… we should go to Hagrid.”

Walking to the hut, Harry thought that probably Ron and Hermione were already heading to Hogsmeade and they were probably worried. He decided he would have reached them later.

 

*

 

“She likes you, Harry!”

“She?”

“It’s a female.”

The snake seemed even smaller in comparison to the huge furniture in Hagrid’s hut. She curled herself near the fireplace and her eyes were pointing at Fang; both curious and scared of her, the dog was sitting on the armchair without approaching her any further.

“What about Hogsmeade?”

“The Demiguise looked in a hurry…”

The animal, when Harry brought the snake in the hut, suddenly entered the case again. Probably Scamander needed to check the lock.

“What kind of snake it is, Hagrid?”

“It’s a Laba. Not dangerous for Muggles, but their bite is quite painful. Their feathers, if used correctly, may produce a powerful poison. They do not trust humans most of the times.”

Harry nodded. He had the impression the Laba was looking at him, but couldn’t check as Hagrid put a cover on her.

“This way she’ll feel safer and probably will stay calm until Newt comes back.”

“Do you think Professor Scamander will keep her?”

“Probably. He has quite a vast selection in that suitcase!”

Hagrid’s eyes shone in excitement. He had always been interested in magical creatures -the more dangerous, the better- and he became teacher one year before Harry attended Hogwarts. He was the assistant of Newt Scamander, the worldwide known magizoologist, but most of the times he was the teacher, as the British Minister of Magic more than once needed Scamander’s help. Harry was sure that didn’t exist a person who loved magical creatures more than professor Scamander and Hagrid.

“Maybe I should go now.”

“Heading to Hogsmeade? Can you do me a favor, Harry? I need a medicine for Fang, unfortunately I can’t move since I’m in care of the creatures. That Demiguise escaped right under our noses…”

“He can turn invisible.” He tried to cheer Hagrid up. “What do you need?”

Fang had problems with his nose. It wasn’t a cold, but few days prior he sniffed a strange plant inside the forest and lost his sense of smell. As Harry opened the door of the hut, Fang tried to go out but Hagrid grabbed his collar and the boy managed to leave in exchange of his hands soaked in the licks the dog gave him.

Harry rushed to Hogsmeade, freeing his path from the snow using a charm found by Hermione which emitted warm air from the tip of the wand. He dropped by J. Pippin’s Potions, where he bought the medicine for Fang, then decided to walk around Hogsmeade looking for Ron and Hermione. They were at Scrivenshaft and Hermione almost jumped at him when he entered the shop.

“Harry! Where were you?”

“Huh, met Hagrid, he asked me for a favor.”

Ron was inspecting the Quills with a desperate look in his eyes.

“Hermione, I can’t find anything here!”

Harry and Hermione exchanged a quick glance and reached him.

They spent all the morning going around Hogsmeade looking for some Christmas presents; both Harry and Hermione pretended they weren’t aware of where nor when Ron bought theirs. Despite Ron believing he had no hopes, thanks to his friends he finally managed to buy the last of the presents, a diary for Ginny which also worked as an alarm clock and every morning repeated aloud the errands of the day.

“Man, I need a butterbeer!” Ron pointed at the Three Broomsticks Inn. “Let’s go?”

Hermione was still looking at the window of the bookshop and didn’t seem to have heard. Harry took Ron’s arm.

“Ron, why don’t you go with Hermione to Madame Puddifoot?”

“What?” Ron’s nose was already red because of the cold and the blush spread to his cheeks reaching his ears. “The hell you’re saying?!”

“Ron, you like Hermione. Bring her there.”

“But you–“

“I’m going to… hum… go look for someone who isn’t Cedric.”

“That’s lame.”

“I know, right?” Harry gave a small slap on Ron’s shoulder and walked straight to Hermione. “Hermione, I’ve just recalled I need to buy a new quill and some parchment, I’ll catch up later.”

He gave Ron a meaningful look before disappearing at the end of the road inside the shop before Hermione could stop him. He spied through the window, but didn’t have a good sight of his friends from there.

“Harry.” Behind him, Luna Lovegood was giving him an interested glance. “It’s good to see you are okay.”

“Luna! Hi!”

She was inspecting a small bottle of ink under the feeble lights of the shop.

“You needed a place where to hide?”

“No.”

Luna was so concentrated on the ink that Harry thought she was actually talking to it.

“Where are Ron and Hermione?” And she continued before Harry could reply. “You gave them space for a romantic date?”

Harry gasped. “How did you–“

“I saw you before and guessed the outcome.” Luna replied calmly. “Are you busy now?”

“I guess not.”

“Do you want to drink something warm with me? At the Three Broomsticks Inn. I find Madame Puddifoot’s Tea Shop has too many Nargles in their mistletoes.”

“They have what?”

“Nargles. They infest mistletoe.”

“Oh…”

Harry didn’t know what a Nargle was and didn’t even ask, but simply waited for Luna to buy what she needed and followed her at the Three Broomsticks.

The inn was filled with students seeking for some warmth relieving them from the cold weather. At first sight Harry was sure there was no place for them, but as Madame Rosemary spotted them, they found themselves occupying a wooden table she evoked with a swing of her wand. It was so small that their knees touched, but since it was Luna, Harry didn’t feel bothered at all. She was gazing around with her big pale eyes and looked interested at her surroundings.

“They’re doing a good job keeping the Nargles away here.”

“What are Nargles?” Harry had to ask.

“Small fairies, they infest mistletoe and tend to steal things from people. Very bothersome sometimes.”

“I see…”

Harry didn’t know if Nargles were real or not, even if Luna’s explanation made them seem existing creatures. He raised his eyes and glanced at the mistletoes hanging from the corners of the ceiling; he noted to himself to avoid passing under them.

They already received their butterbeers when the old couple next to them got up and suddenly two students took their place. Harry was giving his back to the table, so he didn’t particularly care about them until Luna waved her hand.

“Hello, Tom.”

Harry turned a bit too fast and received a nasty glare from Pansy Parkinson before he noticed Tom Riddle sitting in front of her.

“Good morning, Luna.”

There were many things that Harry’s brain had to elaborate. Tom Riddle having a date with Pansy Parkinson -who usually was always stuck with Malfoy-, Luna greeting Tom and Tom greeting her back. Since when Luna and Tom were in good terms enough to share a greeting?

Before Harry could say anything, Pansy spoke to Tom and moved her chair a bit in order to cover him from their sight and divert his attention from the table.

“Harry? Why don’t we go take a look at the Screaming Shackle?”

“S-sure.”

While finishing his Butterbeer, Harry divided himself between trying to stay focused on Luna and eavesdropping over Tom and Pansy. As result he didn’t manage neither to give Luna decent replies, neither to understand what the Slytherins were talking about.

When they stepped outside the Inn, Luna gave Harry a gentle smile.

“If you like Tom, you should tell him.”

Harry felt the Butterbeer making a turnover inside his stomach, sending back all the warmth from his chest to his face and he flushed all of a sudden.

“What?”

“There’s nothing wrong about belonging to different Houses. We should all get along, I’m sure Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor too would agree with me.”

Luna lead the way to the Shackle.

“You know Tom.” Said Harry following her.

“Who doesn’t know him? The most brilliant student in Hogwarts.”

“I mean, you seemed in good terms.”

“We meet often in the library. Few people sit with me and it’s entertaining having conversations with him. He makes sharp observations.”

Since it was Luna, Harry shouldn’t have been so surprised as he was.

“But I don’t like him.”

“Yes, you do.” Luna replied softly. “And you would make a nice couple. Of course, it’s all up to you.”

Harry stared at the Shackle and tried to think about something else that wasn’t Tom Riddle. He recalled all the history behind it, the truth that his father, Sirius and Lupin told him after his third year at Hogwarts. He only told to Ron and Hermione, nobody else was aware that there was no spirit infesting the Shackle but it was a story made up to allow Lupin to attend Hogwarts despite him being a werewolf.

But slowly the face of Tom superimposed on the faces of the Marauders.

“I–I don’t like him, Luna. Really…”

Harry repeated as they were lingering at a safe distance to the Shackle. Around them there was only snow and silence.

“This way you lost a possible chance with Cedric.”

Those words hurt like a stab into the chest.

“Well, he’s Tom Riddle after all. It’s not like I have chance, haven’t I?”

“I can list at least 10 people who are into you.”

“Thanks for sugarcoating.”

“I’m not sugarcoating. You are very kind and cute, Harry. And also pretty skilled with magic, I would ask you out if you were my type.”

“Uhm… thank you?”

It was always strange with Luna. Whatever she said, she managed to make Harry feel at peace again, as if she always knew what to say and how to say it. Luna had a natural talent to relieve people from their pains.

“By the way, why don’t we look for Neville and go eat together?”

Harry nodded. “Nice idea.”

They found Neville at Honeydukes. Harry felt strange spending so much time in Hogsmeade without Ron and Hermione around, however the experience was a pleasant one. Neville entertained them with a long explanation about a new plant his uncle brought him from East Asia and couldn’t wait to show it to professor Sprite, then they went to Zonko but ended up buying nothing. During the afternoon, they caught twice the sight of Tom with Pansy constantly attacked to his left arm. Harry couldn’t bet on it, however he felt like Tom glanced towards them both times.

They came back to the castle when the sun hadn’t set yet. Malfoy was standing under one of the arches of the cloister.

It seemed like he was waiting for their arrivals, with his sharp eyes fixed on the corridor, and Harry’s suspect was confirmed as he swiftly walked to them as soon as they were about the reach the main entrance. He blocked their way with Crabbe, Goyle, Nott and Zabini shielding his back.

“Change of knights, Potter?”

“Shut it, Malfoy!”

Harry tried to walk over him, but Malfoy took a step forward, leaning towards him in an attempt of intimidation. More than intimidated, Harry was irritated. Since the first year, Malfoy had never stopped trying to bug him and turning his life at Hogwarts into a hell for a reason Harry never fully grasped; there were many others Gryffindor he could have turned to, instead he was focused on Harry all the time.

“What’s wrong? Are you sad because Granger dated Weasley instead of you? Maybe if you were as miserable as he is–“

“Your head is filled with Wrackspurts.”

Luna interrupted him and all the Slytherins gave her a questioning look.

“What?”

“Wrackspurts. They’re invisible and it takes some time to recognize when they infest a human. They fill the ears of people and confuse their minds. Yours is filled with them.”

Malfoy spat out a scorning laugh. “Hanging out with mad people suits you, Potter!”

Harry’s hand moved at the immediate impulse of his brain and he grasped his wand before he even thought about what curse he could cast on Malfoy. But he was just about to take the wand out of his coat when Malfoy shrieked in surprise, jumping away from him as he gave his hand a horrified look.

“Something bit me!”

Harry stupidly wondered if he casted some involuntary spell and his eyes moved down: from his bag the tiny head of the Laba was pointing at Malfoy, her teeth threateningly uncovered while she was hissing at the group of Slytherins that jolted back.

“Potter, you are done! You can’t keep a snake as a pet without a special permit!”

“This isn’t my pet. She shouldn’t be here, I don’t know how she sneaked into my bag!”

His words were wasted, because Malfoy retreated, followed by his loyal friends, and disappeared inside the castle.

Harry met Neville’s worried eyes. Luna looked with interest at the tiny snake that was now rubbing her snout against Harry’s fingers.

“I doubt her teeth actually even reached his hand. Malfoy was wearing dragon leather gloves.”

Luna reassured him, but half an hour later, in the office of professor Scamander, Harry wasn’t as relieved as before.

“Females has a much stronger grip than males and dragon leather gloves aren’t as strong as dragon skin. I suppose she could have reached mister Malfoy’s hand.”

Harry’s heart sank inside his own chest as he heard professor Scamander’s words.

“But probably he’ll have a tiny scratch if he wasn’t lucky. No need for a worried face, Harry.”

After the little incident with Malfoy, Harry run directly to Hagrid to give back the Laba and felt lucky when he met with professor Scamander.

“I’ll talk with professor Snape and McGonagall and explain everything.”

Harry nodded in silence. The little snake was curled his legs, quietly staring at the fire crackling in the fireplace, with her feathers a bit ruffled on the head.

“Now, we have another problem here.” Scamander pointed at the Laba. “Usually Laba don’t like humans. But it may happen. It’s rare, but it happens. Probably she grew fond of you as you saved her from freezing. I just would like to know how one arrived here in Hogwarts…”

“What’s the problem then?”

Scamander slowly approached the snake, tending a finger to her. She was so fast at snapping her jaws that Harry jolted, but Scamander acted accordingly and managed to retreat before he was hurt. The teacher didn’t seem affected by the sudden defense and kept explaining calmly.

“The problem is that she trusts you but not the people around you. Until she was in your bag she felt your presence, then Malfoy must have been a bit too much close to you and probably threatening you… you are not in good terms, aren’t you?”

“Not at all…”

“Probably she felt it and tried to defend you.”

Harry felt gratitude towards the tiny snake.

“And here lies the problem: she will always look for you and stay close to you. And if people will be too much close, well, she’ll snap her teeth inside their flesh as much as she could.”

“What should I do?”

“I suggest you to hide her in your bag for the time being. I’ll ask professor Snape to prepare an infusion of Cactinea’s leaves, but it’ll take at least two days to be done.”

Harry tried not to think about Snape putting some poison in the infusion and nodded.

“Thanks professor.”

“You’ll be fine, Harry. And cheer up, in South Asia they believe that people liked by a Laba are to be kissed by the spirits of luck.” Scamander smiled. “I’ve always thought you have a knack on taking care of magic beasts.”

Of course, the Laba didn’t bring with her luck but just more troubles Harry had to deal with, starting with Snape calling him in his office; Harry was saved only because of professor Scamander, who arrived in time to explain everything and also asked for the potion. Snape was livid, since he had no means to put Harry in detention, but witnessing Malfoy’s incredulous face at seeing him safe wasn’t as relieving as the boy believed. He could still feel Snape’s glare poking at his head during dinner time.

“A snake?” Hermione looked at the bag Harry was keeping between his legs right under the wooden bench. “Harry, you can’t own a snake without–“

“A special permit from the Headmaster as Riddle has. I know. It’s a special case, professor Scamander told Dumbledore and the other teachers.”

Ron was slowly shifting further and further from Harry, pressing himself against Neville, who was afraid of what was inside the bag.

“You’ll keep that thing in the dormitory?”

“She won’t leave my side. I tried! I spent two hours with Hagrid and Scamander trying to figure a way out. They even covered my scent and she kept desperately looking around for me.”

“That sounds like she sank into Amortentia.” Said Ron. “At least she doesn’t bite you. Neville told us of Malfoy.” His smile was a huge one. Even Hermione chuckled.

Harry took a piece of sausage and, when he was sure nobody was looking at him, tended it to his bag. The Laba quickly stole it from his fingers and gulped it down in one swallow, then retreated in his comfortable nest made with Harry’s Gryffindor scarf.

“Maybe she’ll get along with Nagini.” Ron added casually. “Speaking of Nagini, do you know the latest date of Tom Riddle?”

“Pansy Parkinson.” Harry didn’t even let him finish and Ron looked hurt, as that was no more a news he could have used to impress his friend. “I saw them today at the Three Broomsticks.”

“I don’t really know what Riddle finds in her.” Hermione commented with a glance at the Slytherin’s table.

“Pansy Parkinson isn’t that ugly.” Neville pointed out. “She’s cute, but mean.”

“You like her, Neville?”

Neville shook his head at Ron’s question, but his ears were red.

Harry was sitting in between Ron and Hermione. He wondered how their date went, he didn’t have any time to ask, but it didn’t seem like they argued. When he reached them for dinner, they hurried to make him sit between them, probably because of the need of listening to what happened that afternoon.

He fed the Laba another piece of sausage and Hermione smiled. “Animals are attracted by you. You’re also Buckbeak’s favorite.”

In that moment, Cedric Diggory entered the Great Hall. He was holding hands with Cho Chang and gave her a small kiss on the forehead before they reached their own tables. Harry stabbed what remained of the sausage with the fork.

“I wish it was the same with people.”

Hermione didn’t say anything more and quickly changed topic. “I’ve already prepared the review program for Christmas Holidays. We’ll start tomorrow!”

Ron complained aloud. “Hermione! Holidays starts next Wednesday!”

Harry was glad that Ron found the strength to discuss against Hermione’s plan of study even after dinner. That way both his friends were too busy to mind the snake and he went straight to the dormitory together with Neville.

Neville was murmuring some words to his mimbulus mimbletonia, which grew splendid flowers and seemed to reply to the vocal inputs of his owners, and meanwhile Harry put on his pajama. When he leaned down on the bed all the tiredness of that day fell heavily on him and Harry barely felt the Laba slithering under the covers and curling on his stomach. However, the contact of his hand on the soft feather wasn’t that bad, despite she was a bit cold.

Harry fell asleep before Ron came back.

 

*

 

“That snake slept on you, Harry!”

Ron kept hissing under his breath while Harry was trying to concentrate himself on the potion they were making. The fumes coming from the crippling surface were of an unpleasant green far from the emerald shades of Slytherin’s colors; the color didn’t suit its smell, very similar to summer grass. The color wasn’t so different from the potion of Hermione and Tom, so Harry was confident he was doing a good job.

“Ron, she didn’t do a thing and now she’s sleeping.” He snarled back. “Your cape is on fire.”

Ron was so busy worrying over his friend that he didn’t notice the hem of his cape floating too close to the flame under the cauldron. Instead of using magic, Ron started swinging the cape until he attracted the attention of everybody in the classroom. Harry took out the wand to help him, but the voice of Snape snapped and froze him on the spot.

“Weasley, don’t make a fool of yourself!” Snape made the fire disappear with a swift movement of his wand. “Potter!”

Harry didn’t know what he did wrong.

“Yes?” A moment of silence. “Professor?”

Malfoy was snickering.

“Two wizards who can’t use magic to take care of a small fire. 10 points from Gryffindor and Potter will gladly clean the cauldrons after the lesson. Without using magic, since you are so slow at using your wand.”

Harry opened the mouth to reply, but Hermione kicked his leg.

“I know it’s not fair, Harry, but deal with it.”

Ron gave him a mortified look, but Harry simply sighed and shook his head, silently telling him that he had no faults. Ron burnt his cape and Snape took the chance to punish Harry, since he couldn’t do it after the incident with Malfoy and the Laba.

After the lesson, Harry frowned at Malfoy’s triumphant smile.

“I’ll see you at Defense.”

“We’ll bring you some food, Harry.” Hermione granted. “It’ll be quick.”

However, when they closed the door behind them, a heavy silence fell over the classroom which looked gloomier than ever into Harry’s eyes. He didn’t even speak to Snape, but simply went to take whatever he needed to clean the cauldrons.

“You really resemble your father.” Snape clearly said as Harry was scraping away the leftovers of what Neville burnt inside his cauldron. “Since Dumbledore, Scamander and Lupin have a soft spot for you, you think you can break the rules as you please.”

“I didn’t break any rules.”

Harry knew Snape was provoking him on purpose and yet he couldn’t stay silent. 

“As conceited as your father is.”

Harry almost threw himself into the cauldron to prevent himself from snarling back at Snape and in that very moment someone knocked at the door. A small Hufflepuff was trembling on the step.

“P-professor Snape, sir. Professor Dumbledore asked you to go in his office.” Silence. “It’s important.” He added exhaling a heavy breath.

Snape glared at Harry. “You’ll end up cleaning here. I’ll know if you used magic, Potter.”

As Snape exited, the classroom looked more comfortable.

After three cauldrons, Harry started to feel the hunger tickling his stomach and the cramps had him when he still had two to go. He was sweaty, his sleeves were curled up over his elbows and his hands were covered in all the dirt of those who messed with the potion, making dense and stingy leftovers attaching to the bottom of the cauldrons. The only satisfaction was that, judging by Malfoy’s cauldron, he did a better job than him. Of course, Snape would have never agreed with Harry doing a decent job.

“Hey…” He sighed when he noticed the Laba was curiously looking at him, only her head popping out from the bag. “Looks like you’ll have to wait for lunch, I’m sorry.”

The snake silently moved towards him and Harry jolted as she entered his trousers from the bottom and climbed over his leg. It was tickling and a bit scary; for how Scamander said she was fond of him, Harry didn’t know if she was about to bite him or not. The snake stopped when she reached his shoulders, wrapping around them like a very thin scarf under his shirt. A dangerous scarf.

Harry went on with his work more carefully. Then someone knocked again on the door. Before he could invite them in, the door was opened and Tom Riddle entered the classroom.

Harry froze. Bended over a cauldron, with his uniform in the worst of the conditions -half closed tie, the collar wet with sweat- and probably looking tired, he wanted to disappear under his invisible cloak. Just few months before he wouldn’t have cared about Tom witnessing him in such a miserable state; then he remembered some of the people Tom dated with and Harry realized he didn’t have a single chance with him, whether he was in his best or worst state. However, that only made him feel worse.

“Why are you here?”

Tom was as perfect as if he had just worn the uniform and left the common house. He always looked perfect, even after duels or after Care of Magical Creatures, whether it was summer or winter, Tom always looked like he did nothing and his clothes were without a single wrinkle, his handsome face without the slightest sign of sweat or dirt. Even his haircut was always on point, the total opposite of the mess Harry had on his head.

“I lent Blaise a book last week and he forgot it…” Tom walked to the corner where usually Malfoy sat with his friends. “…right here. Such an interesting book, it would have been a waste losing it in such a funny way.”

Harry nodded absentmindedly and Tom turned to him. He got closer so fast that Harry wondered if he used a charm.

“Almost done?”

“Almost.”

Another step. Harry straightened his back and left the sponge on the cauldron.

“So, you’re staying for Christmas, aren’t you?”

“Yes. As every year.”

“Looks like we’ll have more time to spend together, then.”

The situation was awkward. Tom Riddle was only two steps away from him -damn, Harry had to bend his head back to look at him- and had his lips curved into a gentle smile that even Harry could detect as fake: there was a malicious glimpse inside his eyes. He took another step forward and Harry felt the pressure of his presence; his legs wobbled a bit before he managed to regain control over himself.

“Lots of time, yes. In our common rooms.”

“You could visit Slytherin’s common room then. I’ll be the only one there this Christmas.”

Tom chuckled, he suddenly turned more handsome than ever and Harry realized he wanted to kiss him and undress him over Snape’s desk. The idea wasn’t so bad. But the delicate caress of the Laba on his skin brought him back to the harsh reality and the handsome face so close to his wasn’t enough to have him anchored in that dream-alike state of contemplation.

“Sorry Tom!” His high-pitched voice covered the angry hiss of the snake. “But I’m busy right now!” He pressed his hands on Tom’s chest and pushed him towards the door, fretting as he felt the snake crawling on his skin.

Harry’s change was so swift that Tom didn’t manage to react before he was outside the classroom.

“Probably I’ll be late for Defense.” Harry said before slamming the door in front of Tom’s face.

The Laba found the way out his collar trying to reach the one who got so close to Harry, but it was too late and she simply gave to her surroundings a puzzled stare. Then she retreated inside Harry’s clothes.

From the other side of the door, Tom Riddle felt, probably for the first time in his life, a genuine sentiment of puzzlement.

And Harry felt a genuine sentiment of hopelessness.

That evening he sank inside one of the armchair of the common room and stared at the fire as if it could resolve all his issues. Not that Hermione didn’t try to give help.

“Where’s Ron?” He asked noticing that he wasn’t with her.

“He forgot to send a letter to his parents.” She shook her head before adjusting her voice into a more concerned tone. “Harry, do you need to talk?”

Harry turned to her. “How did the date with Ron go?”

He spoke the first thing that popped inside his mind and Hermione almost let her Aritmancy book fell.

“What?” Her face was as red as the color of her tie. “Date?”

“At Hogsmeade.” Hermione looked in distress, so Harry hurried to add. “If you don’t want to–“

“It was fantastic. Really!” She held onto the book. “I didn’t know why you weren’t there and you weren’t coming back. Ron explained me many things his grandfather told him about Hogsmeade, very interesting!”

Hermione’s eyes were shifting from the fireplace, to her book and always passed over Harry as if she didn’t want to look directly at him.

“And he offered me a butterbeer and–“

“Did you kiss?”

Harry lowered his voice, Hermione jolted and shook her head.

“No… we were to. But then Malfoy appeared.”

“He likes being there to ruin our fun.”

“Ron didn’t say anything, did he?”

“No. We didn’t have the chance. Also because of…” Harry pointed at the bag where the snake was probably sleeping. “…he was so worried he didn’t follow a single lesson today.”

“And got you in detention.”

“That was Snape’s fault.”

Harry recalled what happened in the classroom during his detention. He abandoned his head against the back seat with an almost silent sigh.

“Harry, may I ask you something?”

“Yes.”

“Do you like Riddle?”

Harry’s eyes widened as he glanced back at Hermione.

“How come that everybody noticed already?” He gave up trying to cover it up.

“Everybody?”

“Luna.”

“And?”

“And you.”

“That’s not everybody.” Hermione smiled. “There’s nothing wrong. I mean, if it were Malfoy–“

“I still have tastes, Hermione!”

“But Riddle… you’d make a nice couple.”

“Yes. Tiny detail: he doesn’t like me.”

“You insisted with the same thing about Cedric and he ended up with Cho.”

“Riddle is different. Even if he were to go out with me, it would be just for one time.”

Even if Tom invited him to the Slytherin’s dorms. And that probably was a trap to make a fool of him, pointed out a voice inside his head that was really similar to his father’s.

“Still better than nothing. Who knows? Maybe you’re his type after all.”

Harry knew that Hermione was trying to cheer him up. He gave her a half smile and decided to tell her what happened during lunch break. When he finished, he was sure Hermione was doing her best not to laugh right on his face.

“Looks like she took your mother’s place. Call her Lily.”

“I won’t give her a name! She’ll hate me in few days though, just the time for the Cactinea’s infusion to be ready.”

“I know Harry, I was just trying to lighten your mood.” She let out a small laugh. “It would have been quite hilarious: the heir of Slytherin bitten by a snake because he was hitting on you.”

“Hermione, he wasn–“

“Shut up you! He totally was! Leaving a book behind because he lent it to someone else? And he is the one who went retrieving it? Tom Riddle? Please, that was a totally made up excuse and you drank it to the last drop!”

Harry frowned. “Thank you?”

“Not that you aren’t clever. But when it comes to people you like, you lose your reason.” Hermione was so involved in the discussion that she left her book on the little table in front of her. “Listen, tomorrow go to Riddle and explain the reason behind your behavior. He’ll understand.”

“Hermione–“

“No buts, Harry!”

Ron arrived just in time to listen to that part.

“What’s going on?”

Harry turned to him. “Hermione says that…” He exchanged a quick glance with her. “…I should just confess to Tom Riddle.”

Neither of them had ever seen Ron turning so pale.

 

*

 

“Harry, you should.”

“No, you shouldn’t!”

For the next two days, Harry felt like his conscience split into two, taking the resemblances of Ron and Hermione. Ron kept telling him that confessing to Tom was exposing a weakness to the enemy, Hermione, on the contrary, said that being in different houses didn’t mean being enemies. He lived in the constant anxiety of someone eavesdropping them -especially Malfoy- and the idea that Snape was going to poison him.

“It’s just a prank. Riddle will mock Harry until he lives.”

“He won’t.” Hermione always repeated, but having Ron glancing at him as if he had just received a life sentence to Azkaban wasn’t helping at all.

When finally professor Scamander called him, Harry almost run to his office. Luckily, Snape wasn’t there. The Cactinea’s infusion had a strange yellowish color and the scent was so feeble that it seemed like sniffing water vapor. Despite that, the taste was too strong and Harry almost spat it when the first sip touched his tongue. However, he resisted the temptation and drank all the glass, emptying it with a disgusted grimace.

“It shouldn’t take much.”

Harry remained still for a handful of minutes, during which Scamander entertained him with an old story on how he almost got expelled from Hogwarts. The boy felt closer to him, since he always stuck himself in situations that would have brought him to expulsion if it wasn’t for a huge share of luck. Then, while Scamander was talking about how Dumbledore granted for him, the Luba suddenly bit Harry’s hand; she escaped from the bag and went directly inside a tiny nest of clothes in the opposite angle of the office.

“I prepared that as a bait. I was sure she would have hidden there. Oh, that’s not poisonous.”

“Yes, I know…”

But still it hurt. Harry looked at the tiny holes near his thumb, there was no trace of bleed, just two reddish points.

“I guess you should go have dinner, Harry. I admonished the Demiguise, he will go to Hagrid and not to you next time, if it isn’t necessary.”

Harry was grateful.

The following day he woke up with a strange feeling inside his chest, a sort of nostalgia. He thought about the snake curled on his stomach, the same snake that bit Malfoy and almost bit Tom. He realized that Tom didn’t even glance at him since the accident in the potion classroom; Harry probably missed a chance back then. He tried to expose his thoughts to Ron and Hermione, but, of course, he received two different replies.

“It’s better like this, Harry.”

“Maybe he felt hurt. He is human after all!”

“Hermione, he’s Slytherin’s heir!”

“And Salazar Slytherin was human! Also, Zacharias Smith is the heir of Helga Hufflepuff but you don’t claim he isn’t human.”

“In fact he is a dick!”

“Oh, Ronald!”

Harry wanted to slap both of them.

“Okay, stop! Hermione is right, I should tell him! Only about the snake.” He added at the smile of her friend. “But what should I say?! Hey Tom, sorry if I suddenly pushed you outside of the classroom, but I had a snake under my clothes and she was about to bite you since she was overly jealous before professor Scamander got rid of her attachment towards me?”

“The very one who bit Draco?”

All the three jolted in surprise when Tom’s voice arrived from their backs. He was descending the stairs, his eyes fixed on Harry.

“Yes.” Harry felt Ron pulling his sleeve, then heard the sound of a slap, probably Hermione, and the tug stopped.

Tom reached them and nobody said anything, so he spoke first.

“You had a snake under your clothes. Very unlikely for a Gryffindor. You sure you aren’t a Slytherin in disguise?”

Ron faked a cackle at that joke, but Harry didn’t say anything. Neither his parents nor his best friends knew that the hat told him he would have found a good place into Slytherin house. He tried to shift the topic to a safer zone.

“I just helped her and she got attached. Professor Scamander said it’s normal for a Laba.”

“Oh, a Laba. Then you are a lucky one, Harry. In South Asia they believe that Laba brings luck to the people they like.”

“I know.”

Harry didn’t feel a bit lucky.

“Ah, Ron!” Hermione exclaimed all of a sudden. “We promised Neville we would have helped him with his homework!”

“What?”

Ron was about to ask more when Hermione pinched the flesh of his arm so strongly that he had to press his lips together to suffocate a groan of pain.

“Y-yes, you’re right. Let’s go back to the dormitories!”

Harry glanced at them. “Do you nee–“

“NO!”

Hermione yelled at him and dragged Ron along the corridor.

Tom looked amused. “Well, if this isn’t a bad attempt of finding an excuse to let us alone. It’s difficult to find a Gryffindor who can keep their face straight while lying.”

“And it’s not difficult finding a Slytherin capable of doing that.”

“It would surprise you knowing how many people in Slytherin are worse liars than you are. Draco Malfoy, for example, isn’t that great actor.”

“While you are.”

Tom took the opposite direction of Ron and Hermione. Harry followed his own legs and walked next to him.

“Do you consider me a liar?”

“A scheme player. And a liar when you need.”

“Get advantage of every situation: a quality Salazar Slytherin approved. You rush a bit too much in your decisions, like you did in the potion classroom.”

“I did it to prevent you from being bitten.”

They turned the corner. “How thoughtful of you.” And Tom suddenly pushed him against the wall with an unexpected kindness. Harry looked up at him noticing a small mistletoe pending from the garland running on the wall. Tom glanced at it and smirked at Harry; all his intention slipped out of the grin on his lips.

“That mistletoe must be filled with Nargles.”

Once again, Harry managed to surprise Tom, despite that wasn’t his intention. But this time Tom didn’t let the sensation overwhelm him: he leaned down, his hands firmly pressed on Harry’s shoulder, and took from him his first kiss.

Harry gripped his hands on Tom’s uniform. His breath trembled when Tom bended his head and pressed again their lips together with a delicate wet smack. Tom raised one hand from the shoulder to Harry’s hair, sank his fingers into them and slowly rubbed the back of his head.

“Harry…”

He spoke tenderly on his lips, leaning their foreheads one against the other. Harry felt sinful shivers warming his body.

“What are Nargles?”

**Author's Note:**

> Tom, what the hell?  
> I really wanted to end the one shot with Tom asking about Nargles, unfortunately it came out funnier than it was inside my head. Let's pretend Tom is just mocking Harry.


End file.
